Roman grave found at water pipeline construction site

A 2,000-year-old coin was found during excavations

Archaeologists have unearthed a Roman grave and a 2,000-year-old coin on the route of a planned water pipeline.

The discoveries were made at the proposed Southern Water site in Hampshire.

Members of Wessex Archaeology have been carrying out the excavations before pipelines are installed between Andover, Otterbourne and Portsmouth.

The scheme is linked to plans for a new reservoir at Havant Thicket, the first to be built in England for 25 years.

Dr Nicola Meakins of Southern Water said: "Roman graves are not uncommon - when the Romans built roads, legionnaires who died were simply buried by the side of the road.

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In France, an ancient sarcophagus has been discovered. It remained unopened for 1800 years.

Although sarcophagi are commonly associated with Egypt and Egyptian mummies, this type of coffin was also popular in ancient Rome. From the 3rd to the 1st century BCE, terracotta, stone, or metal sarcophagi were crafted. They took the form of a chest with a lid, often adorned with reliefs depicting mythological or genre scenes. From the 2nd century CE, depictions of the deceased and their portraits sometimes appeared on the panels.

Ancient Roman City in Gaul

Burial sites usually serve as valuable subjects for archaeological studies. They provide insights not only into the specific individual but sometimes shed light on ancient cultures, their customs, practices, and traditions.

Archaeologists from the French Institut National de Recherches Archéologiques Préventives (INRAP) conducted excavations in Reims, northeastern France. In antiquity, this location was the city of Durocortorum and was the second-largest city in Roman Gaul after being conquered by Julius Caesar’s forces. It is estimated that up to 100,000 people may have lived here.

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Kilns used to make bricks for Colchester's Roman wall found

The recently unearthed kilns were likely to have manufactured bricks and tiles used in Roman Colchester, including for its ancient wall 

IMAGE: COLCHESTER ARCHAEOLOGICAL TRUST

Roman kilns which created the bricks used to build Britain's oldest town wall have been found during a dig.

The excavation took place at Cymbeline Meadows, Colchester, Essex, ahead of the city council's plans to transform the site into a nature reserve.

Archaeologist Philip Crummy said it is "unusual" to find a collection of Romano-British kilns in one area.

The town wall was built following Boudicca's revolt and dates to about 60 to 80 AD.

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